May 26th – 28th

Days 147 – 149 — Sunday — cleaned up my writing desk with the thought of actually writing something.  Later, went to see The Great Gatsby with my daughter-in-law.  A wonderful adaptation of the story.  Baz Luhrman is a genius and Leonardo is probably the best Gatsby ever.  (Never bought Jack Nicholson in that role.)  Nice to get out with Jenn, even if it was only for a couple of hours.

Monday — back to work.  Cloudy, rainy, a perfect day to have to go to a bargaining meeting until 9 p.m.  Want to say it was productive, but. . .

Tuesday — another meeting right after work.  Thankfully I was home by six o’clock.  Scarfed down some supper, did a few email-y things, and then outside to work in the yard until 9 o’clock.  I was so happy I got some time outside.  I’m looking at my gardens and thinking how slow things are coming.  I don’t want to start fretting about not getting my baskets and planters done up, but I am beginning to.  Hopefully, I’ll find some time next week to get to the greenhouse and buy some plants.  In the meantime, I’ll just keep puttering away in the yard.

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Spark

I started this as an entry into some forgotten competition.  Was cleaning off what used to be my ‘writing’ desk and stumbled upon it.  Just a bit of the flotsam and jetsam that I sometimes manage to get on to paper.

 

Spark

I always wanted an Easy Bake oven, I tell her.  She looks at me with the incredulous look only an eight-year-old can have.  Her eyes say:  They had Easy-Bake ovens when you were little?  I smile.  Answer:  Yes, Hailey.  She smiles that bright quick smile I adore; caught.

My parents couldn’t afford it, I say.  She hmmphs and stirs the itty bitty bit of batter that will make three miniature whoopee pies. I am enjoying this more than I imagined I would.  Why couldn’t they afford it, she asks just before she pops a finger sticky with red velvet cake batter into her mouth.  Her eyes, big and blue, are searching.

Because I had seven brothers and sisters I say simply.  Her eyes widen.  She’s met all but one of my siblings, but she doesn’t compute that they add up to so many.  Well, I have Timmy and Ethan, she says matter-of-factly and Santa brought me one.  Oh, oh, this could be tricky.  I asked for one for my birthday, I say, hopefully dodging the “is Santa real?” question.  She considers this, is silent a moment, then just says: oh.

Easy-Bake oven baking is a lot more complicated than real baking.  All those tiny amounts of cake mix and water and icing and sprinkles are difficult to deal with.  The ‘whoopee cushions’ as Hailey calls them turn out okay, though.  They are messy as hell to put together but we do a pretty okay job of it.  There is one for each of us:  Grampa, Gramma, Hailey, Timothy and Ethan.  There is one extra.  I tell Hailey it is hers, because she’s the cook.  She’s pleased with that.

We all eat our one-and-a-half inch pies and make a suitable fuss about how good they are.  Truthfully, I find them rather dreadful and shudder to think of the myriad chemicals we’ve ingested.  But, she’s my granddaughter, they my grandsons; and I’ll do anything for them.  At that I wonder:  shouldn’t I have protected them from this, then?  What kind of grandmother allows her grandchildren to be poisoned with artificial colourings and flavouring?

The indulgent kind, that’s what kind.

And then it’s time to clean up.

May 25th

Day 146 — It rained nearly all day — a good thing, indeed.  Went grocery shopping — the perfect weather to do THAT in — and bought up a 4-pack of Off! and some after-bite.  Think we’re going to need it.  Barbecued teriyaki salmon for supper — can’t help but toot my own horn — it was to die for.  A lovely Caesar cocktail and the day was divine!

May 23rd

Day 144 — Managed to get out in the yard for a couple of hours — got some plants in pots and my hostas uncovered from last year’s debris.  Mosquitoes were nasty — tried the Bounce sheet thing — I think it worked?

Had a nice visit with my friend Kathy.  She bought me supper at Tim H’s!  How nice is that?  Was good to just sit and chat.  Been awhile.

May 24th

Day 145 — the rain has come!  the rain has come!  God, we needed it so badly!  My flower beds were like mini-dustbowls.  Only downside is — can’t stain the deck.  Sigh.

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Testing to see if my blog is linking to my Facebook page.

May 22nd

Day 143 — A busy, busy day.  And the wind!  My God, it’s been incredible for the past two days.  The mornings start out nice and calm, sunny.  I get lulled into thinking it will be like that all day.  Not.  around noon the winds whip up and then they just get fiercer as the afternoon unwinds.  Only good thing about the wind is that it’s keeping the mosquitos at bay!

Spent yesterday evening working on Union business.  Can’t wait for the summer to be here and my time to be entirely my own.

Was a heartbreaker of a game between Ottawa and Pittsburgh.  I really want Ottawa to win — just so we can say we’ve got a Canadian team in the running — and they started out so good, but man, oh, man did they blow it in the third.  Here’s hoping they can pull a rabbit out of the hat for the next game.

May 21st

Day 142 — Ah, exactly one month away from the official start of summer!

Today, working out in the garden I came across a toad.  I picked him up to move him out of harm’s way when I suddenly remembered my grandkids and our frogging foray.  So, I went and got a little container and put the toad in it.  I then drove over to the kids’ house and surprised them.  All three of them were amazed by the little critter.  I had them put on my gardening gloves to handle it (so that they didn’t hurt it more than necessary).  They each took turns holding it and, of course, asked to keep it.  No, both me and their mother said, it wouldn’t live, we have to let it go.  The hunt for a suitable place to let it go began.   Finally, we let it go in the flower garden.  I’m  sure the three of them will go out there tomorrow expecting to find the toad living in their garden.

I’m so glad they live close enough for me to do stuff like this.

May 15th – 20th

Day 136 to 141 — We were away in Lethbridge for the funeral of Tim’s uncle Lief.  Sad, but a wonderful time with family.  Lief was 86 and lived a very full and interesting life.  I think you could safely say he was one of those people who actually chose to LIVE his life.  The memorial service on Saturday was very nice.  His youngest daughter gave a moving eulogy and then the members of the Legion where Lief was a regular each bade him a military farewell.  It was a beautiful thing to see.

Tim and his brothers had a good time catching up with relatives that they hadn’t seen in many years.  (Since the last funeral, really.)  We all remarked on how sad that was.  And, of course, made vows we won’t be capable of keeping to not let it happen again.  There is a family reunion this summer, so, maybe, some of us will be keeping that vow.  We’ll see.

Whenever I have one of these extended weekends away from work I find it so hard to get my head wrapped around the reality of returning to work.  It’s not that I don’t like my job — I love what I do — it’s just that I so enjoy having time to just do what I want.  It’s a familiar complaint of mine — I know I’ve aired it on here many, many times — and it usually starts around this time each year.  We’re about 6 weeks away from the end of the school year.  And it just seems like it will never arrive.

Summer beckons like a siren’s song and I am impatient.  I just need to take a deep breath and remind myself — all in good time.

And for you Rick and Connie:  So, it has come to this.

May 14th

Day 135 – A quiet, easy day.  Too windy and unsettled to do any more work on the deck.  It’s going to be that way for a few days.  I’ve got stuff I need to take care of indoors, though, so I suppose it’s all right.  I’ve gotten back on track with my diet — definitely needed after the weekend I had!  Am looking forward to getting some more yard work done and seeing things really get growing.